1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sheet feeder, and more particularly to a sheet feeder for feeding sheets of paper from a printer to a downstream processor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Certain processing machines for processing sheets, such as those for affixing credit/debit cards to sheets of paper, require A4 sheets of paper to be fed shorter-edge-first from a printer to the processing machine. These processing machines typically run at high speed, high volume, and require a suitably high speed, high volume, printer.
However, most high speed, high volume, printers feed sheets longer-edge-first as this enables the printer to operate more quickly owing to the shorter edge of the page being quicker to feed through the printer than the longer edge. Accordingly, there are few high speed, high volume, printers available which feed sheets of paper shorter-edge-first, and those that are available are typically much more expensive than their longer-edge-first counterparts. Attempts to solve this problem have been made, one such attempt taking the approach of modifying software in the printer to enable the printer to feed shorter-edge-first, but this has not led to a satisfactory solution, and industry is still faced with the necessity of using the expensive high speed, high volume, shorter-edge-first printers.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a sheet feeder for feeding a sheet from a printer to a downstream processor, said feeder serving to receive the sheet from the printer in a first direction and comprising first feed means for feeding the sheet to the downstream processor in a second direction, and alignment means for aligning the sheet in the second direction.
Preferably, the sheet is rectangular with a longer edge and a shorter edge, the sheet is received from the printer longer-edge-first in the first direction, and is fed from the feeder to the downstream processor shorter-edge-first in the second direction, the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction.
Preferably, the first feed means is an endless belt and the alignment means includes a guide surface, and the sheet feeder further includes second feed means for moving the sheet longer-edge-first to a position in which the leading longer edge of the sheet abuts the guide surface.
Preferably, the alignment means further includes a rail having a substantially vertical portion opposite the guide surface and a substantially horizontal portion, the rail being mounted substantially parallel to the belt in a raised position relative to the belt such that, during shorter-edge-first movement of the sheet, a trailing longer edge of the sheet adjacent the rail is curled upwardly to prevent or at least alleviate longitudinal buckling of the sheet.
Further according to the invention, there is provided in a sheet processing system comprising a printer operative to print sheets fed through the printer in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the sheet whereby the sheet is fed through the printer longer edge first, and a downstream processor for performing a subsequent operation using the printed sheet, the improvement comprising a sheet feeder for feeding the sheet to the downstream processor with a shorter edge first, said feeder comprising a sheet feed conveyor extending to said downstream processor, input feed means for feeding the sheet from the printer laterally onto the sheet conveyor so that the longer edges of the sheet extend in a longitudinal direction of the sheet feed conveyor, and means for ensuring alignment of the longer edges of the sheet in the longitudinal direction of the sheet feed conveyor during feeding to the downstream processor.